Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Silver sands of Saint Augustine
Fire in the ground
Between my bitter teeth
We're dancing on the poisoned in their graves
At the end of the night
We'd all seen better days
I know you tried
I know you're cursed
I know your best was still your worst
When Hollywood was calling out your name
Saint Augustine
If I stayed behind
Would you let your hair grow?
I will forget
The favors that you owe
I'm dreaming of car wrecks and thunderstorms so bright
Let's bury ourselves
And go haunt someone tonight
I know you tried
I know you're cursed
I know your best was still your worst
When Hollywood was calling out your name
Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine
Fire in the ground
Between my bitter teeth
We're dancing on the poisoned in their graves
At the end of the night
We'd all seen better days
I know you tried
I know you're cursed
I know your best was still your worst
When Hollywood was calling out your name
Saint Augustine
If I stayed behind
Would you let your hair grow?
I will forget
The favors that you owe
I'm dreaming of car wrecks and thunderstorms so bright
Let's bury ourselves
And go haunt someone tonight
I know you tried
I know you're cursed
I know your best was still your worst
When Hollywood was calling out your name
Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine
Lyrics submitted by drawrof
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Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
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Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
I think the St. Augustine referred to in the song might be the actual person. He was converted to Christianity, embraced it as truth, and became a saint, but eventually left this sect of religion. Although he no longer practiced Christianity, he could not bring himself to refute his testimony about what he believed to be true.
I don't think this song is religious, but I do think it is about someone who turned their back on the narrator just as St. Augustine turned on religion. Although the subject has abandoned either this love, familial tie, or friendship for something completely opposite, he or she cannot deny this past relationship. "Hollywood" could either refer to the actual place. It could also have a metaphorical meaning because Hollywood is geographically opposite of St. Augustine within the continental United States, just as the subject is completely opposite of the person they used to be.
"I know you tried I know you're cursed I know your best was still your worst When Hollywood was calling out your name Saint Augustine"
That part gets me every time.
Great! My thoughts about this song are quite similar to yours.<br /> I think that this song is about losing love. "Poisoned in their graves" might be Romeo and Guliet, and this lines could mean that subjects of the song came to the point where their relationship is nothing but betrayal of Love.<br /> The narrator at some point reproaching his lover in the chorus. And "Hollywood" could be interpretated as a fame. She decided to break their relationship because he stood on her way to fame. But her pursuits were in vain, and now they can't be close to each other anymore, love is broken.<br /> Narrator is trying to find a way to leave all this behind and dreaming of death. "Let's bury ourselves" - he's offering to bury their relations and to go find someone to spend this night with and try to forget about their pain at least for a moment.<br /> I didn't wanted to write so much!)
@fairweatherfriend dude, St. Augustine grew up with essentially no religious affiliation save for the Roman gods (as was the norm at that time). Later in life, he converted to Manicheanism. He practiced this for a decade before converting himself to Christianity. He died a Christian in N. Africa. <br /> <br /> So when you say "he eventually lef this sect of religion" II assume you mean Manicheanism. If you're refering to Christianity then you don't know history, and therefore, your interpretation of this song is wrong. A good book to read: Confessions by St. Augustine. Maybe a better starter for you would be Wikipedia though (just search "st. augustine - that should help"<br /> <br /> If this song is about St. Augustine, it's about his youthful years. Read his biography and you'll understand why.
St. Augustine, neyond actually being a person, could be referring to many things I imagine if not the person itself. I image there are lots of place called St. Augustine. None the less, this is a wonderul song. "Let's bury ourselves and go haunt someone tonight" I would love to have a friend who shared the same love and sick morbib humor as myself.
i think this song is about a party where everyone is drunk off their ass. where he mentions "dancing on the poisoned in their graves," it makes me think that he and the person hes talking to are the last ones awake and the others are passed out. and at the end of the night, after theyve been partying all night, they felt like crap and had seen better days. then he says "lets bury ourselves," which means lets give in and pass out like everyone else that are in their graves. anybody see what i mean?
I get it man!
I really think this song is about forgiveness. More so about saying "Even though you didn't reach the top, it's okay". From the lyrics, it's almost as if he (the singer), or someone he knew left it all behind (St. Augustine) in order to pursue something better (the grass is always greener on the other side) - but ultimately failed in the end.
"i know you tried i know you're cursed i know your best was still your worst when hollywood was calling out your name"
It's a really beautiful song, and whenever I hear I conjure in my head the image of the Lady in Black who always visited Rudolph Valentino's grave. Or - images of the 1920's in general. As personal as this song is, it's almost like a secret that many of us can put our own meanings to.
To me - it's about forgiveness, even if you tried your hardest, and thought leaving everything for something better - but realizing that it's not. It's about redemption.
:)
I dont think its about St. Augustine, FL but I could be wrong. I guess that town is considered to be "very" haunted so that little tie in may have something to do with it?
Either way, I love this song and album. It reminds me of a really great person I know. Who, oddly enough, happened to go to college in St. Augustine, FL.
I think of her whenever I hear this. Great song. Great album.
brilliant song
There's either a school in St. Augustine or a school called St. Augustine... where the native americans were forced to cut all their hair off and be completely devoid of their culture in order to be civilized according to the white people. There is also a huge graveyard outside the school now where they put the bodies of the children who died from exposure to diseases.... I have no idea what the references to Hollywood and cars are though.So maybe it's just a notion.
i love this song but it frustrates me ...
"i know you tried i know you're cursed i know your best was still your worst"
and
"let's bury ourselves and go haunt someone tonight"
i really like these lines, but i really can't tie the entire thing together.
Well, when I saw Band of Horses, they refused to play the song, despite the cries from the audience. He sort of shrugged it off like he wasn't able to bring himself to perform it. "No, we're not going to play that one tonight.." it was the only song from Everything All the Time that they didn't play.
I don't think he wants to play it without Matt, the guy who wrote the song.